MH - Untitled
by Rising Sun et al
Summary: Max Headroom story.


As posted to the Fan Fiction Challenge at   
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffchallange/  
  
Max Headroom  
Untitled AU Contest Fic  
Disclaimer: Max Headroom was created by David Hansen and Paul   
Owen.  
  
Note: This takes place in an AU that is only a slight variant of the   
original since if it were too different Max might not exist.  
  
*****************************************  
  
-Chapter 1-  
  
"This is Edison Carter coming to you live and direct at Zik Zak where   
Ben Cheviot and Ped Xing..."  
  
"I'm sorry, you cannot be here," a Japanese man told him.  
  
"I've been granted clearance," Edison protested.  
  
"Clearance rescinded."   
  
Edison glared. Nobody else had given him that message. As far as he   
was concerned until Ped Xing himself came out with a shotgun and   
demanded that this varmit skeedadle, he was staying right where he   
was.  
  
A moment later, the heads of Ben Cheviot and Ped Xing came flying   
out the window.  
  
~That's what he didn't want me to see!~ Edison's mind reeled.  
  
"It is too bad you had to see that," the man told him, pointing a gun at   
Edison's chest.  
  
*****  
  
"My god! Cheviot's..." Theora's voice was trembling as much as her   
body was.  
  
"All right, calm down, Theora," Murray told her. "We have to help   
Edison. Let's just keep our heads level on this one."  
  
"You're right," Theora punched in the buttons for Bryce's studio. He   
wasn't at his computer. In fact, he wasn't in his studio at all. "Max,   
where is Bryce?"  
  
Max ran a map of Bryce's location on Theora's control screen.  
  
"The ouzo bar?" Theora blinked. "Max what's Bryce doing at a bar.   
He's only sixteen."  
  
Max accessed one of the securicams inside the ouzo bar.   
  
The crowd inside the bar was mesmerized as a single figure performed   
a dazzling striptease, his slim body moving with an elegance unheard of   
by most of these people as the sound system played a song older than   
the supple dancer.  
  
^^I could have sworn that you were an angel. Cause you're a sweet,   
sweet sweet divine thing. But I should have known that you were the   
devil Dressed like a sweet, sweet, sweet divine thing.^^  
  
Theora put on her coat. "I'm going down there. He shouldn't be doing   
that."  
  
"I'll come with you." Murray said, by way of agreeing with her.  
  
****  
  
"Another good night," the ouzo bar owner said as he handed Bryce a   
few credit tubes. "Whoever would have thought that a guy like you   
could dance so well?"  
  
"Just a few moves I picked up from here and there on the Network."  
  
"Bryce."  
  
Bryce looked up and saw Theora and Murray standing there. He stood   
up and turned to them.   
  
"Bryce. In the car. Now." Murray ordered.  
  
Bryce scampered off into the car.  
  
"You know," Murray told the bar owner. "You can get into real trouble   
for this."  
  
"I know he's young," the bar owner told Murray. "Don't worry, no one   
ever touches him. Eyes only on that one."  
  
Murray was about to say that wasn't the point when an explosion   
rocked the building. Remembering the gruesome death of Cheviot, his   
mind recalled the trouble he'd had in starting the car. Had there been a   
bomb planted inside?  
  
"Bryce!" he ran outside, Theora following.  
  
The car was in ruins, most of it lying about all over the street. A few   
people were on the ground, being attended to by friends, lovers, and   
family who were removing shards of glass, metal and perspex from   
their bodies.  
  
Murray ran to the main chassis of the vehicle, which was still largely in   
one piece. He looked inside, but there was no body or body bits there.  
  
"I'll see you next Friday, Mike," Bryce was saying to a man as the two of   
them rounded the corner.   
  
"Thank God," Murray hugged the rather startled young genius. "Bryce,  
I'm so sorry. I almost... You could have died because of me."  
  
Bryce stared at the car. "What's going on?" he asked.  
  
"I'm afraid that we have a crisis in New Tokyo we need your help with."   
Theora explained.  
  
"We'll fill you in on the way back to the Network," Murray told him. "Oh,   
and Bryce. You are never to come here again. Your days as an   
amateur stripper are over."  
  
"Who said I was an amateur?" Bryce asked.  
  
"Bryce, how long have you been dancing there?"  
  
"Ever since ACS," Bryce replied. Seeing the shocked look on their   
faces, he explained "I only started stripping after I turned thirteen. And   
until I was sixteen, it was shirt only... as far as what came off."  
  
"They have no right to exploit you like that," Theora protested.  
  
"Relax," Bryce smiled. "Nobody is exploiting me. I enjoy dancing here."  
  
"You're underage," Murray reminded him as they arrived at Big Time.   
"Reg, we need a lift back to Network 23."  
  
"You don't want to go there, mate," Reg pointed at a screen in the back   
where the Network 23 building could be seen. It was surrounded by a   
few dozen metrocops who were in riot gear.  
  
"...seized the Network 23 building. At this time, no word is forthcoming   
as to the condition of the brave people inside. This is Janie Crane, live,   
direct, and very scared at Network 23."  
  
(tbc...) 


End file.
